K2M Group Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results with U.S. Revenue Growth of 17% year-over-year; Updates Fiscal Year 2016 Outlook

LEESBURG, Va., Nov. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — K2M Group Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTWO) (the “Company” or “K2M”), a global medical device company focused on designing, developing and commercializing innovative and proprietary complex spine and minimally invasive spine technologies and techniques, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016.

Third Quarter 2016 Financial Summary:

  • Total reported revenue of $59.3 million, up 7.8% year-over-year. Total revenue increased 8.7% year-over-year on a constant currency basis.
  • Domestic revenue of $46.0 million, up 16.5% year-over-year
    • S. Complex Spine growth of 15.8% year-over-year
    • S. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) growth of 6.7% year-over-year
    • S. Degenerative growth of 21.1% year-over-year
  • International revenue of $13.3 million, down 14.3% year-over-year. International revenue decreased 11.8% year-over-year on a constant currency basis.
  • Net loss of $7.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, compared to a net loss of $10.2 million last year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $1.1 million last year.

Third Quarter 2016 Highlights:

  • On August 8, 2016, the Company announced the pricing of a private offering of $50 million aggregate principal amount of 4.125% convertible senior notes (the “Notes”) due 2036.
  • On September 21, 2016, the Company announced at the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) 51st Annual Meeting & Course in Prague, Czech Republic, that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for screw and connector components toward a growing spine application for its MESA®Spinal System. This clearance enables these screw and connector components to be used as a part of a growing rod construct designed to accommodate growth in patients under 10 years of age.

Highlights Subsequent to Quarter-End:

  • On October 6, 2016, the Company announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to expand its CASCADIA™ Lateral Interbody System featuring Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology™, the Company’s innovative technology that uses 3D printing with the goal of allowing for bony integration throughout an implant. The CASCADIA Lateral Interbody System line extension clearance strengthens K2M’s MIS portfolio and the Company’s leadership in the 3D printing of spinal devices, as evidenced by its having the most comprehensive 3D-printed spinal portfolio available on the market.
  • On October 26, 2016, the Company announced the U.S. launch of its award-winning CASCADIA Interbody Systems, featuring Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology, during the 31st North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting. K2M presented clinical background on its 3D-printed technologies and showcased the Company’s comprehensive CASCADIA product portfolio, which was recognized by Orthopedics This Weekwith a 2016 Spine Technology Award as one of the best new spine technologies of 2016.

“Our third quarter sales growth of 16.5% in the U.S. was consistent with both our near-term expectations, and our long-term objective of revenue growth in the mid-to-high teens,” said President and Chief Executive Officer, Eric Major. “U.S. sales this quarter were driven primarily by a strong summer deformity season and the contributions from new customers adopting K2M’s innovative technologies across our procedure categories, but most notably in our degenerative and minimally invasive categories, which are benefitting from sales of our Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology platform. K2M offers the most comprehensive portfolio of FDA-cleared 3D-printed spinal devices on the market today and the surgeon community continues to show increasing awareness of our leadership position in this important area of the market.”

Mr. Major continued: “U.S. sales have increased 15% over the first nine months of 2016, driven by strong growth in each of our procedure categories—complex, minimally invasive and degenerative—which have increased sales 12%, 16% and 17%, respectively, so far this year. We are pleased to be reporting improving profitability as the year progresses. In addition, we look forward to continued progress throughout the balance of 2016 and have updated our full-year guidance expectations accordingly.”

Third Quarter 2016 Financial Results

   Three Months Ended
September 30,
  Increase / Decrease  
($,thousands)  2016   2015       $ Change   % Change % Change  
          (as reported)  (constant currency)  
United States $ 45,978   $ 39,459     $ 6,519     16.5 %   16.5 %  
International   13,332     15,550       (2,218 )         (14.3 %)                     (11.8 %)  
Total Revenue:     $ 59,310   $ 55,009     $ 4,301     7.8 %   8.7 %  
                                   

Total revenue for third quarter 2016 increased $4.3 million, or 7.8%, to $59.3 million, compared to $55.0 million in the third quarter of 2015. Total revenue increased 8.7% year-over-year on a constant currency basis. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by greater sales volume from new surgeon users and newer product offerings, partially offset by a decrease in existing customer usage and decreases in both international direct and distributor revenue compared to last year.

Revenue in the United States increased $6.5 million, or 16.5% year-over-year, to $46.0 million, and international revenue decreased $2.2 million, or 14.3% year-over-year, to $13.3 million. Third quarter 2016 international revenue decreased 11.8% year-over-year on a constant currency basis. Foreign currency exchange impacted third quarter international revenue by approximately $0.4 million, representing approximately 247 basis points of international growth year-over-year.

The following table represents domestic revenue by procedure category.

   Three Months Ended
September 30,
  Increase / Decrease  
($,thousands)   2016     2015      $ Change   % Change   
Complex Spine $ 19,516   $ 16,852     $ 2,664        15.8 %  
Minimally Invasive   6,767     6,344       423     6.7 %  
Degenerative   19,695     16,263       3,432     21.1 %  
U.S Revenue: $ 45,978   $ 39,459     $ 6,519     16.5 %  
                             

By procedure category, U.S. revenue in the Company’s complex spine, MIS and degenerative categories represented 42.4%, 14.7% and 42.9% of U.S. revenue, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2016.

Gross profit for third quarter 2016 increased 5.8% to $39.8 million, compared to $37.6 million for third quarter 2015. Gross margin was 67.1% compared to 68.4% last year. Gross profit includes amortization expense on investments in surgical instruments of $3.5 million, or 5.8% of sales, for the three months ended September 30, 2016, compared to $3.1 million, or 5.7% of sales, last year. Third quarter of fiscal 2015 cost of goods sold included costs, net of recoveries, associated with medical device excise tax of $(0.1) million compared to no such expenses in the current period.

Operating expenses for third quarter 2016 decreased $1.7 million, or 3.6%, to $45.9 million, compared to $47.6 million for third quarter 2015. The decrease in operating expenses was driven primarily by a 15.0% decrease in general and administrative expenses offset partially by a 2.1% increase in sales and marketing expenses compared to last year.

Loss from operations for the third quarter of 2016 was $6.1 million, compared to a loss from operations of $10.0 million last year. Loss from operations included intangible amortization of $2.6 million and $2.5 million for the third quarters of 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Other expense for the third quarter of 2016 increased $1.8 million to $1.9 million, compared to $0.1 million last year. The increase in other expense, net was primarily attributable to interest expense incurred on the capital lease obligation related to our headquarters and operations facilities as well as the Notes issued in August 2016, and an increase of $0.5 million in unrealized losses from foreign currency re-measurement on intercompany payable balances.  Foreign currency losses impacted operating results compared to last year due to changes in the average exchange rates of the U.S. Dollar, Pound Sterling and Euro applied to intercompany balances in both periods.

Net loss for the third quarter of 2016 was $7.9 million, or $(0.19) per diluted share, compared to a loss of $10.2 million, or $(0.25) per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2015.

Nine-Months 2016 Financial Results

    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  Increase / Decrease
($,thousands)     2016     2015     $ Change % Change % Change
            (as reported)  (constant currency)
United States   $ 133,409   $ 116,055     $ 17,354            15.0 %                        15.0 %
International     41,434     45,732       (4,298 )   (9.4 %)    (7.9 %)
Total Revenue:     $ 174,843   $ 161,787     $ 13,056     8.1 %   8.6 %
                                   

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, total revenue increased $13.0 million, or 8.1%, to $174.8 million, compared to $161.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Total revenue increased 8.6% year-over-year on a constant currency basis. U.S. revenue increased $17.3 million, or 15.0%, to $133.4 million for the first nine months of 2016, compared to $116.1 million last year. International revenue decreased $4.3 million, or 9.4%, to $41.4 million for the first nine months of 2016, compared to $45.7 million last year. International revenue decreased 7.9% year-over-year on a constant currency basis.

    Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  Increase / Decrease
($,thousands)     2016     2015     $ Change % Change
Complex Spine   $ 53,981   $ 48,204     $ 5,777        12.0 %
Minimally Invasive     20,653     17,766       2,887     16.3 %
Degenerative     58,775     50,085       8,690     17.4 %
U.S Revenue:   $ 133,409   $ 116,055     $ 17,354     15.0 %
                             

Sales in our complex spine, MIS and degenerative categories represented 40.5%, 15.5% and 44.0% of U.S. revenue, respectively, for the first nine months of 2016.

As of September 30, 2016, we had cash and cash equivalents of $46.1 million as compared to $34.6 million as of December 31, 2015. We had working capital of $120.9 million as of as September 30, 2016 compared to $107.4 million as of December 31, 2015. At September 30, 2016, outstanding long-term indebtedness included the carrying value of the Notes of $36.4 million and the capital lease obligation of $35.2 million. In addition, we had no borrowings outstanding under our credit facility.

2016 Outlook

The Company is updating its fiscal year 2016 guidance expectations, which was recently reaffirmed on August 3, 2016.

The Company now expects:

  • Total revenue on an as reported basis in the range of $233.5 million to $235.0 million, representing growth of 8% to 9% year-over-year, compared to total revenue of $216.0 million in fiscal year 2015.
  • Total net loss of approximately $43.0 million to $39.0 million, compared to a total net loss of $39.4 million in fiscal year 2015.
  • Adjusted EBITDA in a range of ($2.0) million to $2.0 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of ($142) thousand in fiscal year 2015.

Conference Call

Management will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2nd to discuss the results of the quarter, and to host a question and answer session. Those who would like to participate may dial 888-670-2254 (913-312-1510 for international callers) and provide access code 3362399 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live webcast of the call will also be provided on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://Investors.K2M.com/.

For those unable to participate, a replay of the call will be available for two weeks at 888-203-1112 (719-457-0820 for international callers); access code 3362399. The webcast will be archived on the investor relations section of the Company’s website.

About K2M Group Holdings, Inc.

K2M Group Holdings, Inc. is a global medical device company focused on designing, developing and commercializing innovative complex spine and minimally invasive spine technologies and techniques used by spine surgeons to treat some of the most difficult and challenging spinal pathologies. K2M has leveraged these core competencies to bring to market an increasing number of products for patients suffering from degenerative spinal conditions. These technologies and techniques, in combination with a robust product pipeline, enable the Company in the global spinal surgery market. Additional information is available online at www.K2M.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect current views with respect to, among other things, operations and financial performance.  Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts such as our statements about our expected financial results and guidance and our expectations for future business prospects, including with respect to our international distribution partners in Australia and Japan.  In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook,” “guidance,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words.  Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties including, among other things: our ability to achieve or sustain profitability; our ability to successfully demonstrate the merits of our technologies; pricing pressure from our competitors, hospitals and changes in third-party coverage and reimbursement; competition and our ability to develop and commercialize new products; aggregation of hospital purchasing from collaboration and consolidation; hospitals and other healthcare providers may be unable to obtain adequate coverage and reimbursement for procedures performed using our products; the safety and efficacy of our products is not yet supported by long-term clinical data; our dependence on a limited number of third-party suppliers; our ability to maintain and expand our network of direct sales employees, independent sales agencies and international distributors and their level of sales or distribution activity with respect our products; the proliferation of physician-owned distributorships; concentration of sales from a limited number of spinal systems or products that incorporate these technologies; loss of the services of key members of our senior management, consultants or personnel; ability to enhance our product offerings through our research and development efforts; failure to properly manage our anticipated growth; acquisitions of or investments in new or complementary businesses, products or technologies; ability to train surgeons on the safe and appropriate use of our products; requirements to maintain high levels of inventory; impairment of our goodwill or intangible assets; disruptions in our information technology systems; any disruption or delays in operations at our facilities, including our new headquarter facility; or an ability to ship a sufficient number of our products to meet demand; ability to strengthen our brand; fluctuations in insurance cost and availability; extensive governmental regulation; in the United States and foreign jurisdictions; failure to obtain or maintain regulatory approvals and clearances; requirements for new 510(k) clearances, premarket approvals or new or amended CE Certificates of Conformity; medical device reporting regulations in the United States and foreign jurisdictions; voluntary corrective actions by us or our distribution or other business partners or agency enforcement actions; a recall of our products; withdrawal or restrictions on our products or the discovery of serious safety issues with our products; possible enforcement action if we engage in improper marketing or promotion of our products; the misuse or off-label use of our products; delays or failures in any future clinical trials;  the results of clinical trials; procurement and use of allograft bone tissue; environmental laws and regulations; compliance by us or our sales representatives with FDA regulations or fraud and abuse laws; U.S. legislative or regulatory healthcare reforms; medical device tax provisions in the healthcare reform laws; our need to generate significant sales to become profitable; potential fluctuations in sales volumes and our results of operations may fluctuate over the course of the year; uncertainty in our future capital needs; failure to comply with restrictions in our revolving credit facility; continuing worldwide economic instability; our inability to protect our intellectual property rights; our reliance on patent rights that we either license from others or have obtained through assignments; our patent litigation; the outcome of potential claims that we, our employees, our independent sales agencies or our distributors have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets or are in breach of non-competition or non-solicitation agreements with our competitors; potential product liability lawsuits; operating risks relating to our international operations; foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws associated with our activities outside the United States; possible conflicts of interest with our large shareholders; increased costs and additional regulations and requirements as a result of becoming a public company; our ability to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future; the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, investments or other strategic transactions we may make; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.  Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements.  These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and our filings with the SEC.

We operate in a very competitive and challenging environment.  New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this release.  We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, and actual results, events or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made.  We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.  We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

 
K2M GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Data)
 
    September 30,   December 31,
    2016   2015
ASSETS        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 46,117     $ 34,646  
Accounts receivable, net   43,215     38,773  
Inventory, net   66,737     62,002  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   6,443     19,820  
Total current assets   162,512     155,241  
Property, plant and equipment, net   51,021     38,318  
Goodwill   121,814     121,814  
Intangible assets, net   25,340     33,123  
Other assets, net   30,579     26,016  
Total assets   $ 391,266     $ 374,512  
                 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
Current liabilities:        
Current maturities under capital lease obligation   $ 937     $ 284  
Accounts payable   14,528     22,483  
Accrued expenses   13,789     13,559  
Accrued payroll liabilities   12,318     11,507  
Total current liabilities   41,572     47,833  
Convertible senior notes   36,383      
Capital lease obligation, net of current maturities   35,187     34,140  
Deferred income taxes, net   5,009     5,042  
Other liabilities   820     835  
Total liabilities   118,971     87,850  
         
Stockholders’ equity:        
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 750,000,000 shares authorized; 42,206,258 and 41,337,692 shares issued and 42,197,647 and 41,337,692 shares outstanding, respectively   42     41  
Additional paid-in capital   471,915     454,153  
Accumulated deficit   (198,614 )   (169,421 )
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income   (914 )   1,889  
Treasury stock, at cost, 8,611 and 0 shares, respectively   (134 )    
Total stockholders’ equity   272,295     286,662  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 391,266     $ 374,512  
                 

 

 
K2M GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Data)
 
    Three Months Ended September 30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2016   2015   2016   2015
Revenue   $ 59,310     $ 55,009     $ 174,843     $ 161,787  
Cost of revenue   19,512     17,390     58,747     53,507  
Gross profit   39,798     37,619     116,096     108,280  
Operating expenses:                
Research and development   5,199     5,154     15,989     14,808  
Sales and marketing   27,384     26,808     84,132     79,588  
General and administrative   13,312     15,667     41,343     42,575  
Total operating expenses   45,895     47,629     141,464     136,971  
Loss from operations   (6,097 )   (10,010 )   (25,368 )   (28,691 )
Other expense, net:                
Foreign currency transaction loss   (547 )   (12 )   (1,099 )   (1,552 )
Interest expense   (1,319 )   (110 )   (2,705 )   (354 )
Total other expense, net   (1,866 )   (122 )   (3,804 )   (1,906 )
Loss before income taxes   (7,963 )   (10,132 )   (29,172 )   (30,597 )
Income tax (benefit) expense   (53 )   83     21     125  
Net loss   $ (7,910 )   $ (10,215 )   $ (29,193 )   $ (30,722 )
Basic and diluted   $ (0.19 )   $ (0.25 )   $ (0.70 )   $ (0.77 )
Weighted average shares outstanding:                
Basic and diluted   41,940,370     41,074,245     41,639,609     39,892,068  
                         

 

 
K2M GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands)
 
    Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2016   2015
Operating activities        
Net loss   $ (29,193 )   $ (30,722 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:        
Depreciation and amortization   21,452     18,396  
Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts   (18 )   177  
Provision for inventory reserves   2,817     1,128  
Stock-based compensation expense   5,381     8,863  
Accretion of discounts and amortization of issuance costs of convertible senior notes   558      
Deferred income taxes   (33 )    
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
Accounts receivable   (5,292 )   (7,729 )
Inventory   (6,466 )   (6,839 )
Prepaid expenses and other assets   (7,636 )   (5,262 )
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and accrued payroll liabilities   3,442     8,795  
Net cash used in operating activities   (14,988 )   (13,193 )
Investing activities        
Purchase of surgical instruments   (10,986 )   (6,595 )
Purchase of property, plant and equipment     (16,338 )   (2,424 )
Changes in cash restricted for leasehold improvements   6,153      
Purchase of intangible assets   (1,282 )   (538 )
Net cash used in investing activities   (22,453 )   (9,557 )
Financing activities        
Borrowings on bank line of credit   19,500     25,000  
Payments on bank line of credit   (19,500 )   (25,000 )
Proceeds from issuances of convertible senior notes, net of issuance costs   47,575      
Proceeds from issuances of common stock, net of issuance costs       54,401  
Issuances and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans, net of income tax   1,262     925  
Net cash provided by financing activities   48,837     55,326  
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   75     (311 )
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents   11,471     32,265  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   34,646     11,411  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 46,117     $ 43,676  
         
Significant non-cash investing activities        
Leasehold improvements, including property under capital lease   $ 598     $  
         
Significant non-cash financing activities        
Deferred convertible senior notes issuance costs   $ 486     $  
Common stock offering costs   $     $ 244  
                 
Cash paid for:        
Income taxes   $ 177     $ 93  
Interest   $ 339     $ 91  
                 

K2M GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures
(Unaudited)
(In Thousands)

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes the non-GAAP financial measures of revenue in constant currency, Adjusted Gross Profit, and Adjusted EBITDA.

The Company presents these non-GAAP measures because it believes these measures are useful indicators of the Company’s operating performance.  Management uses these non-GAAP measures principally as a measure of the Company’s operating performance and believes that these measures are useful to investors because they are frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in the Company’s industry.  The Company also believes that these measures are useful to our management and investors as a measure of comparative operating performance from period to period.

Constant currency information compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-to-period.  We calculate constant currency by converting the prior-year results using current-year foreign currency exchange rates.

Adjusted Gross Profit represents Gross Profit less amortization expense of surgical instruments and medical device excise tax expense.  The Company presented Adjusted Gross Profit because it believes it is a useful measure of the Company’s gross profit and operating performance because the measure is not burdened by the timing impact of instrument purchases and related amortization as well as the medical device tax.  The Company believes that Adjusted Gross Profit is useful to investors because it is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in its industry.

Adjusted EBITDA represents net loss plus interest expense, income tax (benefit) expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense and foreign currency transaction loss.  Adjusted EBITDA will also include a deduction for cash payments made for rent on the Company’s new headquarters and operations facilities under the capital lease agreement once rent payment commence in October 2016.

Adjusted EBITDA is presented because the Company believes it is a useful indicator of its operating performance.  Management uses the measure principally as a measure of the Company’s operating performance and for planning purposes, including the preparation of the Company’s annual operating budget and financial projections.  The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in its industry.  The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to its management and investors as a measure of comparative operating performance from period to period.

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered as an alternative to net loss as a measure of financial performance or cash flows from operations as a measure of liquidity, or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP and it should not be construed as an inference that the Company’s future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. In addition, the measure is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow for management’s discretionary use, as it does not reflect certain cash requirements such as tax payments, debt service requirements, capital expenditures and certain other cash costs that may recur in the future.  Adjusted EBITDA contains certain other limitations, including the failure to reflect our cash expenditures, cash requirements for working capital needs and cash costs to replace assets being depreciated and amortized. In evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future the Company may incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation.  The Company’s presentation of Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed to imply that its future results will be unaffected by any such adjustments. Management compensates for these limitations by primarily relying on the Company’s GAAP results in addition to using Adjusted EBITDA on a supplemental basis.  The Company’s definition of this measure is not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled captions of other companies due to different methods of calculation.

The following table presents reconciliations of gross profit to adjusted gross profit and net loss to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented.

         
    Three Months Ended September 30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,  
    2016   2015   2016   2015  
Reconciliation from Gross Profit to Adjusted Gross Profit                    
Gross profit   $ 39,798     $ 37,619     $ 116,096     $ 108,280    
Surgical instrument amortization   3,454     3,142     10,150     9,146    
Medical device excise tax       (51 )   (866 )   1,209    
Adjusted gross profit (a Non-GAAP Measure)   $ 43,252     $ 40,710     $ 125,380     $ 118,635    

 

    Three Months Ended September  30,   Nine Months Ended September 30,  
    2016   2015   2016   2015  
Reconciliations from Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA                                    
Net loss   $ (7,910 )   $ (10,215 )   $ (29,193 )   $ (30,722 )  
Interest expense   1,319     110     2,705     354    
Income tax (benefit) expense   (53 )   83     21     125    
Depreciation and amortization   7,415     6,126     21,452     18,396    
Stock-based compensation expense   1,527     4,954     5,381     8,863    
Foreign currency transaction loss   547     12     1,099     1,552    
Adjusted EBITDA (a Non-GAAP Measure)   $ 2,845     $ 1,070     $ 1,465     $ (1,432 )  
                                   

The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA for our 2016 guidance:

     
    Year Ended
December 31,
    2016
Net Loss   $ (41,000 )
Interest expense   4,225  
Income tax expense    
Depreciation and amortization   29,200  
Stock-based compensation expense   7,200  
Foreign currency transaction loss   1,200  
Cash-based rent payments(1)    (825 )
Adjusted EBITDA   $  
         

The reconciliation assumes the midpoint of the Adjusted EBITDA range and the midpoint of each component of the reconciliation, corresponding to guidance of ($2.0) million to $2.0 million for 2016.

(1)  Represents expected cash payments for rent on the Company’s new headquarters and operations facilities under the capital lease agreement, which begin in October 2016.

Investor Contact:

Westwicke Partners on behalf of K2M Group Holdings, Inc.

Mike Piccinino, CFA

443-213-0500

K2M@westwicke.com

OrtoWay AB: OrtoWell® Distractor Tool from OrtoWay is Used Clinically for First Time in Lateral Spinal Surgery

November 02, 2016

STOCKHOLM–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Top German spine clinic reports successful application and ease of use for lateral MIS fixation in complicated surgical corpectomy.

OrtoWay AB, the Stockholm-based medical technology company, says its OrtoWell® device was used for the first time in a lateral, minimally invasive surgical (MIS) fixation procedure as part of a corpectomy at the renowned Dreifaltigkeits-Krankenhaus Clinic in Cologne, Germany. The CE-Marked device, now approved for most anterior-approach surgeries, was used to position an implant in a 39-year-old male patient suffering from inflammation in the L1 and L2 vertebra.

Quicker fixation with high accuracy

Developed in Sweden by a group of biomaterial and spinal experts, the OrtoWell device offers time-saving possibilities for surgeons, giving them more freedom and supporting fixation of the vertebra. The instrument fixates the vertebra in a unique way that allows for less complicated insertion of implants and can be used with any prosthesis. It is currently approved in Europe (CE Mark) and the US (Class 1 medical device), and was recently extended to include spinal tumor surgery.

Very good holding strength

“When replacing vertebra in the lumbar spine, it’s important to have tools that are easy to use and support accurate positioning and holding strength,” says Dr. Biren Desai, the leading spine surgeon who carried out the operation at the Dreifaltigkeits-Krankenhaus clinic. “Not only did the OrtoWell device help simplify the operation but I was impressed by the very strong, smooth hydraulic operation.” His clinic specializes in spine surgery, orthopedics and sports traumatology, treating 19,000 patients a year and carrying out more than 4,000 operations.

Novel hydraulically powered system

The OrtoWell Distractor is a novel hydraulically powered system that separates and holds apart vertebral bodies in the spinal column during anterior surgery. It consists of some non-disposable parts (distractor unit, spanner unit, retractors and frame, tools) as well as disposable components (tube unit, gauge, hooks, bone screws). The use of gentle, yet powerful incremental hydraulic force to prevent the vertebrae from collapsing or moving during operations is beneficial to surgeons since it facilitates correct positioning of spinal prosthetics such as disc implants and ALIF cages.

Many areas of potential usage

“We’re delighted to see this proof of successful usage of our device and believe it has the potential to become a successful tool for many aspects of spinal surgery,” says Stan Mikulowski, CEO of OrtoWay AB. Other possible areas of application include degenerated discs, tumor removal and various situations where vertebral distraction is required. “We are strongly committed to improving patient outcomes with the help of superior spinal technology,” he concludes.

About OrtoWay AB

OrtoWay AB was founded in 2006 by a group of experts in biomaterials, spinal surgery and medical technology who were looking for ways to improve anterior surgery and implantation of spinal prosthesis in the lumbar region. The developer behind the OrtoWell Distractor system, OrtoWay AB is today a Swedish privately held medical technology company that is seeking partners for commercialization. The OrtoWell instrument has CE marking for medical devices in Europe and is approved for usage as a Class 1 medical device in the USA. The product will be made available through OrtoWay LLC, an independent company based near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

OrtoWay has received patents for this invention in Europe, the USA and in Australia.

OrtoWell is a registered trademark in the USA, EU and Australia.

Currently OrtoWay is looking for partners to commercialize this invention.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

Contacts

To learn more about this product or to discuss partnerships, please contact:
Stan Mikulowski, CEO
Stan.mikulowski@ortoway.com
Cell phone: +46 708 769 991
From the US; 011 708 769 991
www.ortoway.com

Wright Medical Group N.V. Announces Entry Into Metal-On-Metal Hip Litigation Settlement Agreement

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Nov. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wright Medical Group N.V.(NASDAQ:WMGI) today announced that on November 1, 2016, its wholly owned subsidiary Wright Medical Technology, Inc. (WMT) entered into a Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) with Court-appointed attorneys representing plaintiffs in the previously disclosed metal-on-metal hip multi-district litigation known as In Re: Wright Medical Technology, Inc., CONSERVE® Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2329 (MDL) and the consolidated proceeding pending in state court in California known as In re: Wright Hip System Cases, Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding No. 4710 (JCCP).  In addition, on October 28, 2016, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement with three of its insurance carriers (Three Settling Insurers).

Under the terms of the MSA, the parties agreed to settle 1,292 specifically identified CONSERVE, DYNASTY or LINEAGE revision claims which meet the eligibility requirements of the MSA and are either pending in the MDL or JCCP, or are subject to tolling agreements approved in the MDL or JCCP, for a total settlement amount of $240 million, of which approximately $180 million will be funded from cash on hand and $60 million will be funded from insurance recoveries.

Eligibility requirements of the MSA include that the claimant has a pending or tolled case in the MDL or JCCP, has undergone a revision surgery within eight years of the original implantation surgery, and that the claim has not been identified by WMT as having possible statute of limitation issues.  Claimants who have had bilateral revision surgeries will be counted as two claims but only to the extent both claims separately satisfy all eligibility criteria.

The MSA includes a 95% opt-in requirement, meaning the MSA may be terminated by WMT prior to any settlement disbursement if claimants holding greater than 5% of eligible claims in the Final Settlement Poolelect to “opt-out” of the settlement.  No funding of any individual plaintiff settlement will occur until the 95% opt-in requirement has been satisfied or waived.

Robert Palmisano, president and chief executive officer, commented, “We are very pleased to have reached this settlement agreement, in particular the population of claims that the settlement covers as well as the required 95% opt-in rate for those claims.  With this clarity, we will continue to focus on accelerating growth opportunities in the extremities and biologics markets.  This settlement addresses approximately 85% of the known U.S. revision claims that do not have potential statute of limitations issues and removes a great deal of the uncertainty that has been associated with this litigation.”

Wright will continue to vigorously defend metal-on-metal hip claims not settled pursuant to the MSA.  As of September 25, 2016, the company estimates there were approximately 600 outstanding metal-on-metal hip revision claims that would not be included in the MSA settlement, including approximately 200 claims with an implant duration of more than eight years, approximately 300 claims subject to possible statute of limitations preclusion, approximately 30 claims pending in U.S. courts other than the MDL and JCCP, approximately 50 claims pending in non-U.S. courts, and approximately 20 claims that would be eligible for inclusion in the settlement but for the participation limitations contained in the MSA.  The company also estimates that there were approximately 700 outstanding metal-on-metal hip non-revision claims as of September 25, 2016.  These non-revision cases are excluded from the MSA.

The final MSA settlement amount (not to exceed $240 million), and the final number of claims settled under the MSA, will depend on, among other things, the number of claimants electing to participate in the settlement and the mix of products implanted in the settling claimant group.  Claims which do not meet the eligibility requirements of the MSA, new claims, and claims which have opted-out of the settlement will not be settled under the MSA and the company will continue to defend these claims.

The company previously disclosed a loss range applicable to a substantial portion of revision cases of $150 million to $198 million and, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting practices (US GAAP), recognized as a charge within discontinued operations in the second quarter of 2016 $150 million, the low end of the range of probable loss for these cases.  During the third quarter of 2016, the company recorded charges of approximately $39 million to increase its accrual from the low end of its previous range of probable loss to the amounts in line with the final agreements and to record accruals for certain other revision cases. Please refer to the disclosures in the company’s third quarter 2016 quarterly report on Form 10-Q for a full discussion of our accruals and disclosures related to this matter.

WMT has agreed to escrow $150 million to secure its obligations under the MSA, and parent corporation Wright Medical Group N.V. has agreed to guaranty WMT’s obligations under the MSA.

The MSA will help bring to a close significant metal-on-metal litigation activity in the U.S.  Some lawsuits, however, will remain and Wright will continue to defend against remaining claims and any future claims that could be filed.  The ultimate cost to entirely resolve these matters will depend on many factors that are difficult to predict and may be materially different than the amounts accrued to date, including future revision claims and additional insurance recoveries.  Further charges may need to be recorded in the future as additional information becomes available.

Internet Posting of Information

Wright routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the “Investor Relations” section of its website at www.wright.com.  The company encourages investors and potential investors to consult the Wright website regularly for important information about Wright.

About Wright Medical Group N.V.

Wright Medical Group N.V. is a global medical device company focused on extremities and biologics products. The company is committed to delivering innovative, value-added solutions improving quality of life for patients worldwide and is a recognized leader of surgical solutions for the upper extremities (shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand), lower extremities (foot and ankle) and biologics markets, three of the fastest growing segments in orthopaedics.  For more information about Wright, visit www.wright.com.

™ and ® denote trademarks and registered trademarks of Wright Medical Group N.V. or its affiliates, registered as indicated in the United States, and in other countries.  All other trademarks and trade names referred to in this release are the property of their respective owners.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

This release includes forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “may,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “could,” “believe,” “estimate,” “future,” other words of similar meaning and the use of future dates.  Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements about the effects of the settlement agreements and the amount and funding of the settlement amounts. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Each forward-looking statement contained in this release is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement.  Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks and uncertainties associated with the MSA and the settlement agreement with the Three Settling Insurers, including without limitation, the final MSA settlement amount and the final number of claims settled under the MSA,  the possibility that the 95% opt-in requirement may not be achieved, the resolution of the remaining unresolved claims, the effect of the broad release of certain insurance coverage for present and future claims, the resolution of the company’s dispute with the remaining carriers; and the other risks identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Wright’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2015 filed by Wright with the SEC on February 23, 2016 and Wright’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 25, 2016 anticipated to be filed by Wright with the SEC on November 2, 2016.  Investors should not place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release.  Investors are encouraged to read Wright’s filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and Wright undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of these statements.  Wright’s business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above.  Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.

Investors & Media:

Wright Medical Group N.V.

Julie D. Tracy

Sr. VP, Chief Communications Officer

(901) 290-5817 (office)

julie.tracy@wright.com

Wright Medical Group N.V.

CONTACT US

INVESTOR INFORMATION

NOVEMBER 2, 20164:00 P.M. ET

TRANEXAMIC ACID IN JOINT ARTHROPLASTY; NOVEL OSTEOPOROSIS THERAPY; PRICE SHOPPING PATIENTS

November 1, 2016 – Elizabeth Hofheinz, M.P.H., M.Ed.

When researchers from the University of Michigan Medical Center looked into it, they found that the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) in their state varied widely and that the data suggested that TXA had a significant effect on the risk of transfusion. Brian R. Hallstrom, M.D. is associate chair for Quality and Safety in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He commented to OTW, “One of our first quality improvement projects in the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry was reducing unnecessary blood transfusion.”

The team had plenty of cases to work with: 23,236 primary total knee arthroplasty cases and 11,489 primary total hip arthroplasty cases in the MARCQI (Michigan Arthroplasty Registry: Collaborative Quality Initiative).

Dr. Hallstrom, co-director of MARCQI, added, “The adoption of TXA into orthopaedic practices has been slow due to concerns among surgeons and anesthesiologists about the potential risks of the medication. We found the TXA group received significantly fewer blood transfusions. In addition, our large, statewide experience supports other smaller studies that have not shown an increase in blood clots or cardiovascular events. In fact, we found an association with fewer blood clots in knee replacement patients and fewer readmissions in hip replacement patients.”

“Published rates of transfusion after hip and knee replacement have historically been quite high. TXA offers one tool to help surgeons reduce the need for blood transfusion which will reduce risk to patients, stress on the blood supply and cost to the system.”

“The combination of multimodal pain control, rapid rehabilitation and reduced blood loss and swelling has really revolutionized the care of hip and knee replacement patients over the last few years. These and other factors will only serve to improve the quality and value of care for the many patients having these remarkable, life changing procedures as we move into the next era of health care.”

Great Results for Novel Osteoporosis Therapy

A new study utilizing data from the ACTIVE (Abaloparatide Comparator Trial in Vertebral Endpoints) trial has found that regardless of bone density, age, and previous history of fracture, abaloparatide-SC offers consistent protection against bone fractures in postmenopausal women.

Felicia Cosman, M.D. is an osteoporosis specialist and medical director of the Clinical Research Center at Helen Hayes Hospital, senior clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation and professor of medicine at Columbia University.

Dr. Cosman commented to OTW, “Some patients with osteoporosis who might be candidates for abaloparatide treatment have prior fractures from osteoporosis whereas others have very low bone density without a fracture history. In this study we sought to determine whether abaloparatide would work similarly well in both groups of women. Furthermore, we believed it was important to show that abaloparatide could work in younger patients as well as the very old and to demonstrate that abaloparatide could reduce fractures in women who had either low spine and/or low hip BMD [bone mineral density].”

 

READ THE REST HERE

World $8.25 Billion Artificial Joints For Orthopedic Purposes Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2020 – Research and Markets

November 02, 2016

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “World: Artificial Joints For Orthopedic Purposes – Market Report – Analysis and Forecast to 2020” report to their offering.

From 2007 to 2014, global exports of artificial joints for orthopedic purposes showed steady growth, increasing more than twofold over that period. However, it flattened in the last year, amounting to 8,253 million USD in 2015. There was an annual increase of 9.5% throughout the analyzed period.

USA continued its dominance in the global supplies of artificial joints for orthopedic purposes. In 2015, exports of artificial joints for orthopedic purposes from USA totaled 1,655 million USD, which accounted for a 20% share of global exports. Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland were the other key global suppliers of artificial joints for orthopedic purposes in 2015, with a 55% combined share of global exports.

Belgium (+45.1% per year) and Germany (+13.3% per year) were the fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2015. Belgium significantly strengthened its position in the global export structure, growing its share from 2% in 2007 to 17% in 2015.

On the other hand, USA (22%, based on value terms), Germany (10%), France (7%), Belgium (7%), and the UK (6%) were the leading destinations of imports of artificial joints for orthopedic purposes in 2015. Imports to Belgium grew at a rapid pace of +20.9% per year from 2007 to 2015. By contrast, the UK contracted its share of imports by -4 percentage points over the same period. Meanwhile, Belgium’s share of global imports increased by +4 percentage points.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary

3. Market Overview

4. Production

5. Imports

6. Exports

7. Profiles Of Major Manufacturers

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ptw7qm/world_artificial

Contacts

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470
For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630
For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
Related Topics: Orthopedic Devices

Zimmer Biomet announces positive comparative seven-year Mobi-C data

Zimmer Biomet has announced results of a seven-year outcomes study demonstrating statistical superiority of its Mobi-C cervical disc prosthesis versus two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in overall success.

In the study, overall success required improvement in Neck Disability Index (NDI), no secondary surgical interventions at the index levels, and absence of major complications defined as radiographic failure, neurological failure or adverse events. Mobi-C was the first cervical disc prosthesis approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reconstruction of the cervical disc at both one and two levels, to treat severe pain in the neck or arm caused by various spine disorders or injuries. The data was presented at the annual meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS; 26–29 October, Boston, USA).

The prospective, randomised, controlled trial was conducted as an FDA-regulated Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical trial of the Mobi-C cervical disc. The trial compared outcomes including NDI, neck and arm pain as measured on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and patient satisfaction, between two-level cervical total disc replacement (cTDR) procedures and two-level ACDF procedures, over seven years. The authors conclude that Mobi-C at two contiguous levels continues to demonstrate superiority to ACDF in overall study success rates through 84 months.

“Comparing cTDR and ACDF in this prospective, randomised study with long-term follow-up, Mobi-C showed statistically significant better clinical improvement in general and disease-specific outcome measures compared to ACDF,” said Kris Radcliff, the lead author of the study and associate professor in orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA. “Further, significantly lower rates of subsequent surgery and adjacent segment degeneration were observed with Mobi-C at seven years.”

“Our seven-year data reinforcing the clinical utility of Mobi-C is not only an important milestone for this revolutionary device, but also further validation of the value of cervical motion preservation technology in treating severe pain in the neck or arm caused by various spine disorders or injuries,” said Adam Johnson, Zimmer Biomet’s group president of spine, dental, CMF and thoracic. “Mobi-C represents a critical pillar in establishing Zimmer Biomet as an emerging leader in spine health, and with the growing body of clinical and real-world evidence supporting its efficacy and safety, Mobi-C is poised to become the new standard of care for cervical disc replacement.”

Creating a slippery slope on the surface of medical implants

November 1, 2016

Implanted medical devices such as left ventricular-assist devices for patients with heart failure or other support systems for patients with respiratory, liver or other end organ disease save lives every day. However, bacteria that form infectious biofilms on those devices, called device-associated infections, not only often sabotage their success but also contribute to the rampant increase in antibiotic resistance currently seen in hospitals.

As reported in Biomaterials, a team led by Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., and Elliot Chaikof, M.D., Ph.D., at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University (SEAS), as well as the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), have created self-healing slippery surface coatings with medical-grade teflon materials and liquids that prevent biofilm formation on medical implants while preserving normal innate immune responses against pathogenic bacteria.

The technology is based on the concept of ‘slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces’ (SLIPS) developed by Aizenberg, who is a Wyss Institute Core Faculty member, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at SEAS. Inspired by the carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plant, which uses the porous surface of its leaves to immobilize a layer of liquid water, creating a slippery surface for capturing insects, Aizenberg previously engineered industrial and medical surface coatings that are able to repel unwanted substances as diverse as ice, crude oil and biological materials.

“We are developing SLIPS recipes for a variety of medical applications by working with different medical-grade materials, tuning the chemical and physical features of these solids and the infused lubricants to ensure the stability of the coating, and carefully pairing the non-fouling properties of the integrated SLIPS materials to specific disturbing factors, contaminating environments and performance requirements,” said Aizenberg. “Here we have extended our repertoire of materials classes and applied the SLIPS concept very convincingly to medical-grade teflon, demonstrating its enormous potential in implanted devices prone to bacterial fouling and infection.”

First, the team searched ex vivo for the teflon material that would work best with a selection of compatible lubricants to provide a long-lived repellent surface against a common device-associated bacterial strain. The most advantageous teflon-lubricant combinations had to preserve the anti-bacterial activity of innate immune cells that provide the natural first-line response against invading bacteria. The winning material was ‘expanded polytetrafluoroethylene’ (ePTFE). Used in prosthetic grafts for cardiovascular reconstruction, mesh for hernia repair, as well as implants in a wide variety of reconstructive surgery, ePTFE tested well with lubricants with proven acceptable safety profiles.

Moving to a rodent model, the team compared bacterial and tissue responses to implanted hernia meshes with or without a SLIPS surface after infecting the animals with Staphylococcus aureus.

“SLIPS coatings yielded extremely favorable responses in vivo: they resisted infection by bacteria and were associated with considerably less infiltrating immune cells and inflammatory abscesses than non-coated ePTFE,” said Chaikof, who is a Wyss Institute Associate Faculty member, Chairman of the Roberta and Stephen R. Weiner Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief at BIDMC.

“At present, patients who receive implants for the repair, reconstruction or replacement of diseased or damaged organs or tissues or otherwise depend upon temporary life sustaining support systems, often require antibiotics at the time of implantation to keep the risk of bacterial infection at bay. SLIPS coatings one day could obviate the widespread use of antibiotics, minimize the development of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, and enhance the capacity of temporary or permanent artificial devices to resist infection,” said Chaikof.

“This new study by Joanna and Elliot exemplifies the Wyss Institute model in which collaborations between basic scientists focused on industrial applications and clinicians working in the medical area are fostered in a way that can lead to unexpected developments — in this case, one that has the potential to have a major positive impact in the clinical setting,” said Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., Founding Director of the Wyss Institute, Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS.

Previous medical SLIPS applications include coatings that can repel bacteria and blood from small medical implants, tools and surgical instruments that are made of steel or, more recently, coatings that help keep the glass surfaces of endoscopy and bronchoscopy lenses free from highly contaminating body fluids and thus transparent during procedures.

 

Story Source:

Materials provided by Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

 

Journal Reference:

  1. Jiaxuan Chen, Caitlin Howell, Carolyn A. Haller, Madhukar S. Patel, Perla Ayala, Katherine A. Moravec, Erbin Dai, Liying Liu, Irini Sotiri, Michael Aizenberg, Joanna Aizenberg, Elliot L. Chaikof. An immobilized liquid interface prevents device associated bacterial infection in vivo. Biomaterials, 2017; 113: 80 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.09.028

Cite This Page:

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. “Creating a slippery slope on the surface of medical implants: Self-healing slippery coating applied on the surface of an implanted medical device protects against infectious biofilm formation.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 November 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161101111923.htm>.

InVivo Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Jeffrey Hatfield to Board of Directors

November 02, 2016

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV) today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Hatfield to its Board of Directors. Mr. Hatfield most recently served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Board Member for Vitae Pharmaceuticals and served in those capacities since joining the company in March 2004. Mr. Hatfield funded the company privately from 2005 to 2014 via three separate partnering transactions and took Vitae Pharmaceuticals public in 2014. On September 14, 2016, Allergan Plc announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Vitae Pharmaceuticals for approximately $639 million in cash.

Prior to joining Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Hatfield worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in a variety of executive positions, including: Senior Vice President of BMS’ Immunology and Virology Divisions, where he was responsible for all aspects of the $1B annual revenue division; President and General Manager, BMS-Canada; and Vice President, U.S. Managed Health Care. Mr. Hatfield holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Purdue University, where he is a Distinguished Alumnus and adjunct professor. He has served on the Board of Ambit Biosciences (AMBI) before its acquisition by Daiichi-Sankyo, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), serving on the Executive Committee of the Emerging Company Section. He is also a member of the advisory committees for Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, and the Chapman-KGI School of BioPharmacy.

Mark Perrin, InVivo’s CEO and Chairman, said, “The Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Jeff. His invaluable experience in steering a company to clinical trials, managing successful product launches, business development transactions, and driving valuation leading to corporate acquisition makes him a great asset to the Board.”

“I’m personally very motivated and excited by the company’s work, as I’ve had direct experience with a family member who suffered a serious spinal cord injury at an early age,” Hatfield said. “I’m hopeful that Mark and the InVivo team can make a meaningful difference to the lives of those suffering these kinds of traumatic injury.”

About InVivo Therapeutics

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. is a research and clinical-stage biomaterials and biotechnology company with a focus on treatment of spinal cord injuries. The company was founded in 2005 with proprietary technology co-invented by Robert Langer, Sc.D., Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Joseph P. Vacanti, M.D., who then was at Boston Children’s Hospital and who now is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2011, the company earned the David S. Apple Award from the American Spinal Injury Association for its outstanding contribution to spinal cord injury medicine. In 2015, the company’s investigational Neuro-Spinal Scaffoldreceived the 2015 Becker’s Healthcare Spine Device Award. The publicly-traded company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more details, visit www.invivotherapeutics.com.

Contacts

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp.
Brian Luque, 617-863-5535
Investor Relations
bluque@invivotherapeutics.com

PeerWell Announces $2.1 Million in Seed Funding to Pioneer Tech-Enabled PreHab for Surgery

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – (November 2, 2016)PeerWell, whose PreHab mobile platform helps patients prepare both physically and mentally for surgery to recover faster, announced today that it has raised $2.1 million in seed funding led by XSeed Capital.

Founded in 2015 by Manish Shah, Navin Gupta and Evan Minamoto, PeerWell has been focused on its flagship PreHab program for hip and knee replacement patients. PeerWell PreHab helps hip and knee replacement candidates optimize their health before surgery. Leveraging evidence-based health science, the PeerWell app delivers patients customized daily lessons that are proven to improve the results of surgery and speed-up recovery. Pairing each patient with real people undergoing a joint replacement at the same time, support and mentorship are at the heart of PeerWell.

“Today the average surgery costs the same as living with diabetes for 33 years,” Manish Shah, CEO of PeerWell. “The best way to reduce costs is to enable patients to be as strong, healthy and prepared as possible before their procedure. Unfortunately, today most patients are given a 50 page hard copy book of pre-op instructions which is an outdated and ineffective method for preparing patients. At PeerWell, we are establishing pre-surgical PreHab as the standard of care for all patients, providing an easy to use mobile app tool for surgery preparation. We designed PeerWell to make clinical workflow more efficient by automating everything a patient needs to get done before surgery. This is rare a win for hospitals, physicians and patients.”

PeerWell’s system houses hundreds of evidence based patient modules that are personalized for patients by machine learning based program creation algorithms. Additionally, PeerWell allows patients to engage with others who are facing the same procedure and learn from patient mentors using its secure peer-to-peer communication technology.

The company will use the seed funding to enhance the platform by launching smartphone based tracking for key orthopedic outcomes including range-of-motion, sit/stand testing and six-minute walk tests. This round of funding will also allow PeerWell to continue its growth by accelerating the development of PreHab programs for other major procedures, establishing new distribution channels for its existing orthopedics business and investing in team growth at its San Francisco headquarters.

“Healthcare is moving toward outcome accountability and associated payment mechanisms, nowhere faster than in the move to bundled payments for procedures like hip and knee replacement.  There is consequently a large and growing opportunity for entrepreneurs who recognize the change and can deliver what is needed: improve patients’ ability to go straight home after surgery, reduce length of stay, drop readmissions, and limit overall complications,” said Michael Borrus, Founding Partner of XSeed Capital. “PeerWell is at the forefront of this emerging field. Their PreHab platform is unique in that it aligns and dramatically benefits all stakeholders: patients, doctors, and hospitals. That is why we are excited to invest in Manish and the PeerWell team.”

 

About PeerWell

PeerWell is a healthcare technology company that helps patients prepare for and recover from major episodes of care with its PreHab mobile platform. Every year 50 million people undergo major procedures like joint replacement surgery, coronary bypass surgery and chemotherapy. Using PeerWell, patients complete personalized 4-5 item daily checklists that help them prepare mentally, physically and environmentally. Learn more about PeerWell’s fully automated perioperative patient solution at https://www.peerwell.co/.

 

 

CMS Publishes 2017 Final Hospital Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Rule Increasing Outpatient Facility Reimbursement for MIS SI Joint Fusion Using SI-BONE’s iFuse Implant System®

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — SI-BONE, Inc., a medical device company that pioneered the use of the iFuse Implant System® (“iFuse”), a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device indicated for fusion for certain disorders of the sacroiliac (SI) joint, reported that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its 2017 Final Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment rule for MIS SI joint fusion.  The final payment rule shows AMA CPT® code 27279 has been assigned to APC 5116 and provides an increased Medicare national average hospital outpatient payment from $10,538to $14,698, representing an increase of $4,160 or 40% over the current payment amount.  In the ASC, the new Medicare national average payment will increase from $7,887 to $12,553, representing an increase of $4,666 or 59% over the current payment amount.  The new payments will become effective January 1, 2017.

“With these significant increases in facility payments, CMS continues to recognize the value of MIS SI joint fusion when billed using AMA CPT® code 27279 and the importance of providing access to our procedure for all Medicare beneficiaries in the outpatient setting,” said Michael Mydra, Vice President of Health Outcomes & Reimbursement at SI-BONE.  “We believe that iFuse fits strategically with the overall goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by providing a safe and effective treatment of degenerative sacroiliitis and SI joint disruption, which has been demonstrated to improve pain, patient function and quality of life in a cost-effective manner.”

About SI-BONE, Inc.

SI-BONE, Inc. (San Jose, California) is a leading medical device company dedicated to the development, manufacture and commercialization of minimally invasive surgical devices for the treatment of patients with low back symptoms related to certain sacroiliac (SI) joint disorders.  SI-BONE, Inc. first received 510(k) clearance to market its iFuse Implant System (“iFuse”) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2008. The CE mark for European commercialization was obtained in November 2010.

The iFuse Implant System provides a minimally invasive surgical solution to fuse the SI joint using patented triangular titanium implants inserted across the joint from the ilium to the sacrum.  The triangular implant shape combined with an interference press fit is designed to provide immediate fixation by minimizing rotation and joint motion.  The implants’ porous surface provides an ideal environment for bone ongrowth and ingrowth, facilitating long-term fusion of the joint.  iFuse is the only commercially available SI joint fusion system in the United States with published evidence that demonstrates safety, effectiveness and economic benefits, including clinical results from three large multicenter prospective studies, two of which are randomized controlled trials. Currently, there are more than 45 peer-reviewed publications (www.si-bone.com/results).  It is the only SI joint fusion system with an FDA clearance recognizing demonstrated improvements in pain, patient function and quality of life following treatment.

The iFuse Implant System is intended for sacroiliac fusion for conditions including sacroiliac joint dysfunction that is a direct result of sacroiliac joint disruption and degenerative sacroiliitis.  This includes conditions whose symptoms began during pregnancy or in the peripartum period and have persisted postpartum for more than 6 months.  Clinical studies have demonstrated that treatment with the iFuse Implant System improved pain, patient function, and quality of life.  There are potential risks associated with the iFuse Implant System.  It may not be appropriate for all patients and all patients may not benefit.  For information about the risks, visit: www.si-bone.com/risks

SI-BONE and iFuse Implant System are registered trademarks of SI-BONE, Inc. ©2016 SI-BONE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9754.110216

SOURCE SI-BONE, Inc.

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